Apparatus for coating electric conductors



E. A. WEEKS ET AL APPARATUS FOR COATING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS March 17, 1936.

INVENTORS fawn/w A. WEE/f8 MERE/T7 5. Elmer Filed May 2, 1934 Patented Mar. 17, 1935 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFlCE APPARATUS FOR COATING ELECTRIC cormuc'rons of New York Application May 2, 1934, Serial No. 723,456

- 15 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of coating electric conductorsor similar strands, and particularly to an improved apparatus and method of applying coating materials thereto; and the object of the invention is to provide an improved apparatus wherein the .various coating and treatment tanks or stages are disposed in such alinement with respect to each other as to maintain the wire or strand in a substantially straight line while passing through the applicator stages to facilitate the production of abetter and more uniform application of the coating material and to accomplish the desired result with the least amount of frictional engagement of the strand,

I thereby permitting the strand to be run through the machine at a greater rate of speed than would otherwise be practical; afurther object. being to provide an improved device for applying a coating compound or material to the strand,the

2O device being in the form of a trough with means for continuously feeding the coating material to the trough and to dispose'said trough above the tank containing such coating material, the trough being disposed in the straight line path of movement of the strand, thus exposing the entire circumference of the strand to the coating material in said trough; a further object being to provide means above the tank containing the compound for removing the surplus of 30 coating material from the strand in passing thereover; a further object being to provide means for passing the strand coated with the compound through aseries of other applicators or baths in producing the final finish on the wire or strand; and with these and other objects in view the invention consists in an apparatus of the class and for the purpose specified andin the method of coating conductor strands and the like as more fully hereinafter described an claimed.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part in which the separate parts of the improvement are designated by suitable in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus illustrating the several stages of applying varireference characters in each of the views, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the coating materials applied to an electric conductor in accordance with the process. 5

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, we have diagram matically illustrated the arrangement of the several applicators for applying coating material to a wire or strand, and for the purpose of this description, reference will be made to the coating 01' e1ectricconductors.

In said figure, Ill represents a reel having wound thereon a conductor II with insulation I2 of any desired kind or class, and which may be treated with a saturant having fire repellent and waterproof characteristics. The wire thus coated designated at I2 in Fig. 1, passes over a. guide pulley I3, and from. this point extends in substantially a straight line to a capstan wheel I4 around which the coated wire passes to extend through a tank of cooling water I5 and then onto a receiving reel I 6, and this wheel serves to feed the wire at a constant .speed through the applicators. The guide pulley I3 is on' the tank or casing of a coating compound applicator unit ll, whereas at I8, we have indicated an applicator unit for applying a suitable powdered substance to the wire treated with the compound, and at I9 an applicator unit for applying a final nonstick outer coatlng of wax or other material to the conductor prior to passing the same through the cooling bath of water I5 and-onto the reel I6.

For purposes of diagrammatic illustration, we have indicated in Fig. '7 of the drawing, the application of the compound coating at Ila, and this coating may be of any desired material, but is preferably a colored finisher of the type form'' ing the subject matter of Patent Numbers 1,887,851, granted November 15, 1932; 1,956,951 granted May 1, 1934; and 1,956,575 granted May 1, 1934. "In-other words, this coating material is preferably one including a colored pigment to provide different color value to the resultant conductor. a p

At Illa we have indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawing the application of the powdered material by the applicator I8, which powdered material may be of a color consistent .with the color of the coating Ilaemployed, or of a color which-willhelp to build up the desired or ultimate color value of the finished product-which is usually desirable when applying a light colored compound Ila over a black saturant with .which the'lnsulation I2 may be treated. At l9a, we have indicated in Fig. 7 of the drawing, the final smooth or non-stick outer coating such as referred to in the patent and applications for patent above referred to, and which may be a clear wax or a wax of a color consistent with the color of the compound I'laemployed.

At the upper end of the unit I! is a tank 20 in which the compound coating material no is placed, the same being heated by suitable means provided in the casing, access to which is controlled by the door 2 I. Mounted in suitable bearings 22 at the top of the tank 20 -is a shaft 23 driven from an electric motor 26 througha chain and sprocket construction 25. Secured to the shaft 23 centrally of the tank 20 is a lifting wheel 26 consisting of two spaced disks 21, 21a, which dip into the compound Ha contained in the tank and serve to lift the compound upwardly to feed the same into an applicator trough 28 which is supported on a transverse rod 29, the latter having a crank handle 30 at one end to permit upward swinging movement of the trough whenever desired.

The rod 29 is mounted in suitable bearings 3| and adjacent one bearing is a large bushing 32 having a projecting lug 33 which operates in a groove 3m in one of said bearings to permit the swinging movement of the trough through an arc of 90. The groove 3! also forms stop shoulders to maintain the trough in proper horizontal position as shown in Fig; 2 of the drawing when same is in use. The front end of the trough 28 is comparatively shallow as may be seen upon a.

consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing, and the bottom wall of this end of the trough has two slits or apertures 34 for receiving the disks 21, 21a, thus forming of said end of the trough and of the bottom wall thereof wiper blades 35 disposed on the outersurfaces of the disks 21, 21a and a blade 36 disposed between adjacent surfaces of said disks. These blades will serve to remove the compound from the inner and outer.

surfaces of said disks and to collect the same in the trough. It will be noted upon a consideration of Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing that the conductor [2 passes between the disks 21, 21a adjacent the hub portion thereof and along the trough adjacent the bottom thereof to insure the application of the compound to the entire circumferential area of the conductor. It will also be noted upon a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing that the center wiper 36 is ribbed as seen at 3Bato reinforce the same against the pressure of the compound applied thereto in the rotationof the wheel 26.

Atthe rear end of the trough 28 is a movable wall plate 3'! pivoted to one side of the trough as indicated at 38 and having a handle portion 39 at the other side thereof. Centrally of the wall 37 is an elongated aperture 30 through which the conductor l2 passes. The purpose of this wall is to facilitate threading the conductor through the machine, it being understood that the aperture ii] opens through the bottom of the wall so that the wall may be placed in position after the conductor is in proper position, and in addition thereto, this wall serves to check the discharge of the compound from the trough. However, any surplus compound that may pass through the plate will drop into the tank 20 or be removed by a wiper M disposed above the tank as clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. This wiper maybe of any desired construction but is preferably of the type disclosed in application for Letters Patent, Serial Number 695,246, filed October 26, 1933.

The unit I8 consists of a suitable container 42 for powdered material for applying the material 18a to the conductor, the container having suitable means of agitation driven by a sprocket and chain structure 43 from an electric motor 44 supported on the standard 45 of the casing or-container 42. Between the applicators. l8 and I9 is supported a pan or tray 46 for catching any surplus of powdered material that may prevail on the conductor. This tray, which is shown broken away, may be of any desired length and may contain one or more freely running U-grooved sheaves 41 for guiding the conductor in its movement to prevent a sag therein and also to prevent vibration thereof. In this connection, it will be understood that other means may be employed to remove the surplus powdered material.

The unit l9 '6nsists of a tank 48 heated by means indicated -at 48a. ,Th' tank 48 is supported in a sifit'able frame 19 with a tray or trough 50 supported above thet'ank with means, such for example as a pump 5| actuated through a motor 52 for pumping coating material through a pipe 53 into the trough -50 through a discharge 54 disposed over said trough. The trough 50 includes an end wall 55 having a die 56 through which the conductor passes to control the amount of coating material applied by the unit I 9, and any surplus of coating material in the trough will drop back into the tank 48.

By passing the conductor through the several applicators in accordance with the invention herein disclosed, in a straight line, the speed of production of the coating strand may be materially increased, and at the same time, by sub,- jecting the strand to a relatively small quantity of the coatingmaterials Ha, No, the heat effect of these materials upon the strand is reduced, and a more perfect application of the coating material provided by eliminating the passage of the strand upwardly and downwardly around sheaves and other tanks, all of which tend to wipe, rub or otherwise remove or in some way affect the coating material.

By using a trough applicator such as the applicator 28 shown in detail in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive in conjunction with the lifting or feed wheel 26, a very simple and yet effective means is provided for transmitting the coating material from the tank 20 into the-trough and onto the conductor l2 as it passes therethrough. Some of the coating material brought up on the inner adjacent surfaces of the disks 21,210, will be applied to the conductor prior to its passage into and through the trough, having the further effect, by reason of the rotation of the wheel, to distribute the coating material on said conductor.

With our improved apparatus and method, a greater portion of the lifting or feed wheel 26 is disposed above the tank 20 and this tank has i ductor may be discharged therefrom into the tray 66, and this spacing gives the powdered substance an opportunity to set or unite itself with the compound coating prior to passing through the applicator 19 which applies the final nonstick outer coating. By passing the wire thus spaced relation to the applicator! 9, the outer coating may be properly set upon the conductor before it is wound upon the receiving reel.

While we have shown certain details of construction in the compound applicator, our invention is not necessarily limited in these respects, nor are we necessarily limited to the particular types of applicator units l8 and I9 herein diagrammatically illustrated, and various other changes in and modifications of the method and apparatus herein disclosed may be made within thescope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of our invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. An apparatus for applying aplurality of coatings to an electric conductor comprising a series of coating applicators disposed in common alinement, means for feeding and/guiding the conductor in a substantially straight line through said series of applicators, the first applicator comprising a tank containing a heated compound coating, a trough disposed above the tank and longitudinally of the path of movement of.

the conductor, means for feeding the compound from said tank into said trough, the conductor passimg longitudinally through the trough and the compound therein in applying the compound to said conductor, a second applicator arranged adjacent the first named applicator and by means of which a powdered substance is applied to the conductor treated with the compound, and a third applicator disposed in widely spaced relationship with respect to the second named applicator and by means of which a final finisher coating is applied to the conductor coated with said powdered substance. 7

2. An apparatus for applying a plurality of coatings to an electric conductor comprising a series of coating applicators disposed in common alinement, means for feeding and guiding the conductor in a substantially straight line through said series of applicators, the first applicator comprising a tank containing a heated compound coating, a trough disposed above the tank and longitudinally of the path of movement of the conductor, means for feeding the compound from said tank into said trough, the conductor passing longitudinally through the trough and the compound therein in applying the compound to said conductor, a second applicator arranged adjacent the first named applicator and by means of which a powdered substance is applied to the conductor treated with the compound, a third applicator disposed in widely spaced relationship with respect to the second named applicator and by means of which a final finisher coating is applied to the conductor coated with said powdered substance, and a capstan wheel for feeding the conductor through the apparatus and through a' bath of water for setting the finisher coating on said conductor.

3. An apparatus for applying a. plurality of coatings to an electric conductor comprising a series of coating applicators disposed in common alinement, means for feeding and guiding the conductor in a substantially straight line through said series of applicators, the first applicator comprising a tank containing a heated compound coating, a trough disposed above the tank and longitudinally of the path of movement of the conductor, means for feeding the compound from said tank into said trough, the conductor passing longitudinally through the trough and the compound therein in applying the compound to said conductor, a second applicator arranged adjacent the first named applicator and by means of which a powdered substance is applied to the conductor treated with the compound, a third applicator disposed in widely spaced relationship with respect to the second named ap- 10 plicator and by means of which a final finisher coating is applied to the conductor coated with said powderedsubstance, and an elongated pan disposed between the second and last named applicators and into which surplus powder discharged from saidconductor is adapted to pass.

4. An apparatus for applying a plurality of coatings to an electric conductor comprising a series of coating applicators disposed in common alinement, means for feeding and guiding the conductor in a substantially straight line through said series of applicators, the first applicator comprising a tank containing a heated compound coating, a trough disposed above the tank and longitudinally of the path of movement of the conductor, means for feeding the compound from said tank into said trough, the conductor passing longitudinally through the trough and the compoundttherein in applying the compound to said conductor, a second applicator arranged adjacent the first named applicator and by means of which a powdered substance is applied to the conductor treated with the compound, a third applicator disposed in widely spaced relationship with respect to the second named applicator and by means of which a final finisher coating is applied to the conductor coated with said powdered substance, an elongated pan disposed between the second and last named applicators and into which surplus powder discharged from said conductor is adapted to pass, and means at the top of said pan forfguiding the conductor in its movement thereover.

5. An apparatus for applying a plurality of coatings to an electric conductor comprising a series of coating applicators disposed in common alinement, means for feeding and guiding the conductor in a substantially straight line through said series of applicators, the first applicator comprising a tank containing a heated compound coating, a trough disposed above the tank and longitudinally of the path of movement of the conductor, means for feeding, the compound from said tank into said trough, the conductor passing longitudinally through the trough and the compound therein in applying the compound to said conductor, a second applicator arranged adjacent the first named applicator and by means of which a powdered substance is applied to the conductor treated with the compound, a third applicator disposed in widely spaced relationship with respect to the second named applicator and by means of which a final finisher' conductor in a substantially straight line through said series of applicators, the first applicator comprising a tank containing a heated compound coating, a trough disposed above the tank and longitudinally of the path of movement of the conductor, means for feeding the compound from said tank into said trough, the conductor passing longitudinally through the trough and the compound therein in applying the compound to said conductor, a second applicator arranged adjacent the first named applicator and by means of which a powdered substance is applied to the conductor treated with the compound, a third applicator disposed in widely spaced relationship with respect to the second named applicator and by means of which a final finisher coating is applied to the conductor coated with said powdered substance, an elongated pan disposed between the second and last named applicators and into which surplus powder discharged from said conductor is adapted to pass, means at the top of said pan for guiding the conductor in its movement thereover, and said last named applicator comprising a tank of heated wax, a trough above said tank through which the conductor passes, and means for discharging the heated wax into said trough.

'7. In a machine for applying coating materials to electric conductors, an applicator for applying a compound to the conductor, said applicator comprising a tank, a feed wheel rotatably supported on said tank to extend into a heated compound within the tank and to project above said tank, an elongated trough supported above the tank and including a part overlying said wheel to act as a scraper for removing the compound fed by the wheel from said tank into said trough, and said conductor being movable longitudinally through the trough and the compound therein in the application of the compound to said conductor.

8. In a machine for applying coating materials to electric conductors, an applicator for applying a compound to the conductor, said applicator comprising a tank, a feed wheel rotatably supported on said tank to extend into a heated compound within the tank and to project above said tank, a trough supported above the tank and including a part overlying said wheel to act as a scraper for removing the compound fed by the wheel from said tank into said trough, said conductor being movable longitudinally through the trough adjacent the bottom wall thereof in the application of the compound to said conductor, the trough being open at opposite ends, a movable closure plate for one end of the trough and said plate having an aperture through which the conductor passes.

9. In a machine for applying coating materials to electric conductors, an applicator for applying a compound to the conductor, said applicator comprising a tank, a feed wheel rotatably supported on said tank to extend into a heated compound within the tank and to project above said tank, a trough supported above the tank and including a part overlying said wheel to act as a scraper for removing the compound fed by the wheel from said tank into said trough, said conductor being movable longitudinally throughthe trough adjacent the bottom wall thereof in the application of the compound to said conductor, said feed wheel comprising closely arranged disks and the scraper part of the trough being split to receive said disks to dispose the scrapers intermediate and on the outer side surfaces of the disks.

10. In a machine for applying coating materials to electric conductors, an applicator for applying a compound to the conductor, said applicator comprising a tank, a feed wheel rotatably supported on said tank to extend into a heated compound within the tank and to project above said tank, a trough supported above the tank and including a part overlying said wheel to act as a scraper for removing the compound fed by the wheel from said tank into said trough, said conductor being movable longitudinally through the trough adjacent the bottom wall thereof in the application of the compound to said conductor, said feed wheel comprising closely arranged disks, the scraper part of the trough being split to receive said disks to dispose the scraper intermediate and on the outer side surfaces of the disks, and the arrangement of the trough with respect to the wheel being such as to permit the passage of said conductor between the disks of the wheel adjacent the axis thereof.

11. In a machine for applying coating materials to electric conductors, an applicator for applying a compound to the conductor, said applicator comprising a tank, a feed wheel rotatably supported on said tank to extend into a heated compound within the tank and to project above said tank, a trough supported above the tank and including a part overlying said wheel to act as 'a scraper for removing the compound fed by the wheel from said tank into said trough, said conductor being movable longitudinally through the trough adjacent the bottom wall thereof in the application of the compound to said conductor, said feed wheel comprising closely arranged disks, the scraper part of the trough being split to receive said disks to dispose the scrapers intermediate and on the outer side surfaces of the disks, the arrangement of the trough with respect to the wheel being such as to permit the passage of said conductor between the disks of the wheel adjacent the axis thereof, one end of the trough having a wall with a restricted aperture through which the conductor passes, and means for moving the trough into and out of engagement with said wheel.

12. In an applicator for applying compound coatings to an electric conductor, the combination with a disk feed wheel for feeding a compound from a tank to a point above the tank, of an elongated applicator trough arranged above the tank and in overlapped relation wiih respect to the disk of said wheel and longitudinally with respect to the path ofmovement of, said conductor therethrough, said trough acting as a wiper to remove compound from the surface of the disk ino said trough, said trough being open at one end, and the other end having a wall apertured to permit the passage of the conductor therethrough in the longitudinal movement of the conductor through the trough.

13. In an applicafor for applying compound coatings to an electric conductor, the combination with a disk feed wheel for feeding a compound from a tank to a point above the tank, of an applicator trough arranged above the tank and in overlapped relation with respect to the disk of said wheel, said trough acting as a wiper to remove compound from the surface of the disk into said trough, said trough being open at one end, the other end having a wall apertured to permit the passage of the conductor therethrough in the longitudinal movement of the conductor through the trough, and means for movably supporting the end wall of the trough to facilitate the insertion of the conductor in the aperture thereof.

14. In an applicator for applying compound coatings to an electric conductor, the combination with a disk feed wheel for feeding a compound from a tank to a point above the tank, of an applicator trough arranged above the tank and in overlapped relation with respect to the disk of said wheel, said trough acting as a wiper to remove compound from the surface of the disk into said trough, said trough being open at one end, the other end having a wall apertured to.

permit the passage of the conductor therethrough in the longitudinal movement of the conductor through the trough, means for movably supporting the end wall of the trough to facilitate the insertion of the conductor in the aperture thereof, and means for movably supporting said trough to permit movement thereof into and out of engagement with said wheel.

15. A compound applicator unit of the class described comprising a casing, a shallow tank arranged in an opening through the top thereof, a disk feed wheel mounted to rotate in the shallow tank with the major part of the wheel extending above the tank, means for driving said wheel, a trough-shaped compound applicator mounted above the tank, one end portion of the trough being open and extending onto the disk of said wheel to form a wiper end for removing compound from the surface of the disk into said trough and the other end portion of said trough having a closure wall with an aperture therein to receive a body to be coated in its longitudinal movement through said trough.

EDWARD A. WEEKS. MERRITT B. BRADT. 

